Toilet-seat protector.



G. E. W. MILLER. TOILET SEAT PROTEGT'OE. AP LIOATIOI; FILED AUG. 18,1909.

Patented July 12, 1910.

GUSTAF E. W. MILLER, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12, 1910.

Application filed August 18, 1909. Serial No. 513,391.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAF E. W. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the county of Vorcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Toilet-Seat Protector, ofwhich the following is a specification. This invention relates to aprotector adapted to be used on closet-seats and the l1ke for thepurpose of preventing the spread of disease or vermin thereby when usedparticularly in public laces, such as hotels, i-ailway stations, ofiicebuildings, and the ike. I

The principal objectsof the invention are to provide a construction inwhich the inner edge of the protector will be rendered strong so as notlikely to be torn, and at the same time to provide a construction inwhich the inner edge will keep in shape and not be likely to becomedistorted either by use or storage.

It is also an object of this invention to accomplish these results in anarticle of manufacture of inexpensive form so that it can be used onceand then discarded.

Reference is to be had to the accompany ing drawing, in which the figureis a plan of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the form illustrated the protector is shown as comprising a thinsheet a preferably formed of tissue paper and having an opening atherethrough of a general oval or ovate form. Around the edge of thisopening is secured a reinforcing strip 6 which is cut from a sheet ofthin material preferably of tissue paper and is continuous all aroundthe opening. This reinforcing strip, of course, has an openin of-similarsize and shape to the openlng a and one is superposed on the other sothat their inner edges coincide. Although the 'relnforcing strip can beplaced on either side of the sheet or one on both sides, I prefer toplace a single one on the'lowersideas indicated in the drawing. Thisleaves a top surface without seams or irregularities.

It is well known that ordinary tissue paper has a slight grain so that atear started at any point tends to turn in a certain direction, or atleast it is easier to tear it longitudinally with respect to the grainthan across it. I prefer to take advantage of this state of affairs byplacing the reinforcing strip 7) with its grain at right angles, or atleast at some material angle to the grain of the sheet a.

' By doing this it will be seen' that when a tear is started at the edgeof the opening the grain of one sheet or the other will formconsiderable'resistance to the spread thereof, and if the tear spreadsit will tend to spreadin two different directions, so that the slitsthus formed will not coincide with each other throughout their length,therefore the surface of the seat will not be exposed. In

addition to this also it is preferred to secure the reinforcing strip tothe main sheet by means of two parallel lines 0 of paste or otheradhesive material preferably extending entirely. around the openings.Thesetwo lines take the shape of the central opening, and the inner oneis substantially coincident with the edge thereof, while the outer oneis spaced therefrom so as to leave a continuous space around the openingin which the two sheets do not adhere to each other. This feature is ofimportance even when the grains of the two sheets are parallel or whensheets are employed not having any grain, because any tear'that maystart at the inner 'edge will tend to diverge in the two sheets after itenters the space where they do not adhere, vwhereas if they adhere toeach other throughout their contacting surfaces the tear wouldordinarily have to'follow a single line, thus exposing a portion of theseat. This feature is particularly valuable when paper is used nothaving a grain or when the grains are crossed as specified hereinbefore.The reason for the advantage in the" latter case will be obvious fromthe above description, and it will be seen that there will be a similarresult in the former case, because the paper not having a grain will nottear along-straight orregular lines. WVhile I have illustrated anddescribed a preferred embodiment of the invention and specified certainmaterials and relations thereof, I am'aware that many modifications canbe made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing fromthe scope of the invention as expressed in the claims.

' Therefore I do not wish to be limited to all the details ofconstruction, material, and arrangements set forth, but

What I do claim is 1. As an article of manufacture, a toilet seatprotector comprising a sheet of paper having an opening therethrough,and a continuous reinforcing strip of paper of a sub stantially uniformwidth along the edge thereof, the inner edges of both pieces beingsubstantially coincident, said reinforcing strip being pasted to thesheet along two substantially parallel lines spaced apart.

2. As an article of manufacture, a temporary toilet seat protectorconsisting of a thin sheet of paper having an opening therethrough, andan uninterrupted reinforcing strip of substantially the same thicknesspasted to the sheet along two parallel lines spaced apart, said sheetand strlp being free from each other along the space between said linesand said space extending entirely around the opening.

3. As an article of manufacture, a toilet seat protector comprising asheet of tissue paper having an opening therethrough and a reinforcingstrip cut from a sheet of tissue paper having an opening of similarshape andsize, placed with the gram at an angle 'to the grain ofthefirst named sheet, so that the openings are superposed, and secured tothe sheet by two parallel lines of paste surrounding the openings and'saced, apart.

4. As an article of manu acture, a toilet seat protector comprising asheet of tissue paperhaving an opening therethrough and a relnforcmgstrip cut from a sheet of tissue pa er having an opening of similarshape an size, placed with the grain at an angle to, the grain of thefirst named sheet, so that the openings are superposed, and secured tothe sheet, said strip being of substantially uniform width v andcontinuous entirely around the opening in the sheet.

5. As an article of manufacture a toilet seat protector comprising asheet of tissue paper having an :opening therethrou h and a reinforcingstrip cut from a sheet 0 tissue pa er having an'opening of similar shapean size, to the grain of the first named sheet, so that the openings aresuperposed, and secured to the sheet.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

' GUSTAF E. W. MILLER. Witnesses:

HAROLD P. 'WiLLIAMS, LOUIS C. DOYLE.

placed with the grain at an angle

